Robbin A. Carollo

About: Robbin is transplanted from Atlanta, Georgia, married to a native Oregonian who brought her to Roseburg to follow his career as an attorney. With two kids in two years and two more on the way, Robbin is just happy to know what’s going on most of the time. Her humor, friends and faith in God are what help her overcome the culture shock and sleep deprivation that have become the norms in her life. When she can find a minute, she blogs about her misadventures in the PNW and parenting on her blog, From Grits to Granola.

​Read Robbin Wednesday's on Douglas County Moms

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Y’all will never guess what I attempted – CrossFit.

I know, I know. Me and everyone else on the planet.

But I’m desperate people! There’s a bridesmaids dress hanging in my closet that I’m going to have to fit into in a few weeks and last time I checked, Delta isn’t going to let me check a person-sized shoe-horn in order to accommodate me and my too small dress.

So, about a month ago I decided I was going to give CrossFit a try.

I’ve heard lot of mixed reviews on the latest fitness craze so I was a little intimidated when I decided I was going to sign up for the three-week Fundamentals class at CrossFit of Roseburg (I chose that particular gym because I know a few people who are members and the gym is one of two legitimate CrossFit certified gyms in town).

They have you go through the Fundamentals class to teach you proper technique when executing lifts and pulls and box jumps or any other super fun move you can imagine.

I was promised this wasn’t to weed out the weak seeds (i.e. me), but to stress the importance of form.

As someone who spent a year of her life as a personal trainer, I can assure you that you do not want to miss this step of the introduction to CrossFit.

As many success stories that you hear about CrossFit, there are always a few horror stories about someone being seriously injured and I’d be willing to wager most of those happened because someone hadn’t been taught or wasn’t using the proper form.

Once I got past my initial nerves-induced nausea, I actually became pretty pumped about starting.

I knew it was going to be a high-intensity workout and I had convinced myself that even though I’ve basically been a human breeding machine for the last three years, some of my pre-baby fitness would rear its head and I’d be able to hold my own in a gym where literally everyone walking through the door was in great shape.

Let’s just say my faith in my muscle memory was misplaced.

Thankfully, during Fundamentals you get a day off between workouts, so when I went in for the next class, I could almost walk comfortably again.

Besides becoming familiar with the form and technique behind a lot of the moves you’ll use in CrossFit, you are introduced to some of the plethora of acronyms used at the gym.

I’m convinced they use acronyms so you’re not completely off-put and defeated before you start your work out.

AMRAMP? That’s not threatening.

“As Many Reps As Possible” when we’re talking a combo of squats, lifts and lunges? Kill me now.

After my little foray into your world, might I suggest another acronym for you CrossFitters?

ISSAC: I Suspect Some Ya’ll A Lil Crazy.

Although I only attended the Fundamentals class, I got a really good workout and know that if I had been able to stick with it, I would have been able to meet my fitness goals, no problem.

But, turns out those kids who have helped turn my body into something my 24 year old self wouldn’t recognize are still my top priority and our family couldn’t make the class times, and childcare mesh in a way that would allow me to continue.

And even though a large part of me is sincerely disappointed that I won’t be able to join the gym, a small part of me is rejoicing at the idea that I will not be puking in front of a group of strangers ’cause I’m pretty sure if I had to endure a whole class of CrossFit, that’d be the first thing to happen.